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Our secret, our agreement, remained safe.

“Despite my troll of a cousin, I hope you had fun tonight!” Saga said as she escorted me back to my room. “I wouldn’t have invited Calpurnia because I knew about Roar, but she overheard me talking to Eireann. Seriously, sorry about that.”

“I had fun,” I said.

It was true. Despite Calpurnia’s icy glares, and Marit’s apologetic looks when Sayyida said something off-color, I’d had lots of fun.

“Me too!” Saga sighed. “Good thing too, because this whole festival is going to be atrocious.”

“You aren’t excited?”

Marit had been, so had Calpurnia, and I got the sense that Baenna felt excited too. Sayyida and Eireann struck me as more standoffish about the Courting Festival. But Saga had been fairly tightlipped about the whole thing.

“I don’t like being forced into things.”

“That’s something we have in common.”

She grinned. “You’re around this corner.”

Had she not said anything, I would have missed the turn. As it was, I took the corner sharply and promptly ran into a wall.

I groaned and stepped back, nose wrinkling, eyes scrunching closed from the pain, even as the most delicious smell of sandalwood and the aroma of a freshly fallen snow filled my nostrils. What was that?

“Vale!” Saga hissed. “What in the afterworld are you doing here skulking about?”

I froze. Oh, no. That hadn’t been a wall I’d run into. I opened my eyes, and groaned inwardly when I found the prince frowning down at me. Ugh. Why must someone so horrible smell like a treat?

“I might ask you the same.” Prince Vale rubbed his chest. The action pulled his tunic down a little, revealing the tips of two bear claw tattoos.

Heat unfurled in my belly, and my pulse raced, but as quickly as it came, I shook off the reaction. For moon’s sake, what was wrong with me? The male looked handsome, of course anyone with eyes could see that. But a million other fae males were handsome too. And Roar had told me this prince had done horrible things. I should despise him.

No, I did despise him. He’d just taken me by surprise was all—what with his masculine airs and scent and . . .

Bleeding skies!

I rolled my shoulders back and curtsied. “Prince Vale.”

“Oh, don’t bother,” Saga muttered. “And I asked first, Brother. Why are you in this wing? Are you trying to find Vidar’s suite? Because he’s two corridors away.”

“Again, I could ask you the same thing.” Prince Vale’s eyes flashed to my face, dipped down to my lips so briefly I thought I might have imagined it, before landing on his sister again. “Why haven’t you met with your intended since he arrived?”

Intended? Saga hadn’t mentioned that she was betrothed to anyone.

Saga crossed her arms. “If you must know, he was with Lady Virtoris all day. And I was entertaining the ladies of the Sacred Eight.”

Prince Vale rolled his eyes but his annoyance broke a little and a small smile played on his lips. “Entertaining. I see . . . I hope you didn’t get into any trouble.”

“And you?” Saga pressed, not bothering to answer her brother.

“I—” Again, his dark gaze flashed to me. “I wasn’t doing anything important.”

Had he been looking to confront Roar about something? Stars, maybe he had already done so? My stomach dipped. That had to be what he was doing in our wing.

“Hmmm.” Saga hummed. “Well, you can keep your secrets and clear out. I must get Lady Neve safely to bed.”

Prince Vale laughed derisively. “Then you shouldn’t be taking her to the Lisika chambers.”

My eyes narrowed. “What did you say?”